The Life Poetic

Sunday, June 17, 2012

So, summer is here. I've got classes in the morning and work at the laundromat in the afternoon. I've discovered a deep love of folding linens and for the smell of soap than I could have ever imagined.

I'm applying to creative writing MFA programs instead of theology programs. Practicality is for the timid. I hate to quote Reagan, but the future really does belong to the brave. A life of working for the Roman Catholic church and pretending that I didn't love my queer friends, IUDs, and women who wear clerical collars would have been a life wasted.

So here's a poem I wrote about the mat. It's not done, and it doesn't have a title.

So here's a poem I wrote about the mat. It's not done, and it doesn't have a title.

One day in the future, you will
remember this summer as the summer of rain. You sit in the laundromat
with your legs crossed reading some magazine and clutching a denim
bag with a frayed drawstring that once held clothes that smelled like
sweat and spilled liquor. You look at the dirt under your fingernails
and think about geologic time and where it had been before it found
its way to you. Rain beats against glass windows streaked with cheap
window cleaner and trickles down in rivulets – a word that you
always say out loud (to no one in particular) because you like the
way it feels in your mouth. A white washing machine tosses your
clothes with powdered soap and you realize that, between the rain and
the washer, you are surrounded by water, and suddenly you feel like
you are in an aquarium, (not that you know what that feels like).

Chris took this picture of me outside the house one afternoon. Sometimes I am photogenic.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

So I haven't had much time to blog lately. Last semester was seriously busy, and updating wasn't a priority (but I did make the Dean's List). With winter break came a condensed philosophy class and a nasty cold, so while I had plans to blog often, it didn't happen.

Now that I am back at school and settled in to the new semester, I want to make a habit of updating more frequently. My plan is to post a picture every day of something interesting that I come across, and at least two written updates a week. I keep pretty busy, and occasionally do/see/make interesting things that I think are worthy of being documented.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

School has picked up and my schedule is pretty out of control. The kind of out of control where you're busy all the time, but you don't to anything interesting enough to blog about.

Here's what I have been up to:

- Homecoming was last weekend. While I didn't participate in any of the debauchery, I did go to the parade! It was a slice of Americana that only exists in small towns I think. Chris took pictures, but it was raining, so I don't know how good they came.

- Speaking of Chris, he put three new amazing pictures of the Pittsburgh skyline on his site! Check them out! http://blog.eleventhframephoto.com/ Doesn't that make you want to come visit us? It should.

-I've been doing a fair amount of wedding planning in my spare time. I think I have the color scheme, my dress and the bridesmaids dresses figured out and I'm making a spreadsheet of things I want to register for (aka I like to look at the Sur La Table website at work). Now all we need is a venue, a date, a caterer an a officiant...nevermind.

-Thanksgiving break is in 45 days and I want to see everyone back home! Also, my search for a showstopping vegetarian dish to bring to Thanksgiving has begun, as has my written appeal to Aunt Rose to be allowed to bring a dish to Thanksgiving.

-I am obsessed with Pinterest! It's so much fun!

-We had a lovely visit from our New Jersey friends Catherine and Stephen Siegel and are expecting Chris' parents this weekend. I love having guests (even if it does mean washing a thousand dishes). I'm preparing a menu already for Saturday nights dinner already. The plan is tomato and red wine braised pork shoulder, Sicilian style stuffed artichokes, roasted broccoli, fingerling potatoes with lavender and couscous with an apple cider reduction. No knead bread too! With herb butter! I'll post an update about all that after the weekend.

-We have most of January off, and rather than take classes I'm going to stare at Rosetta Stone French and do lots of crafting, so if you want to come see us, that would be the time to do it!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Chris' sister Tara sent me an invite to Pinterest, so now I can spend far too much time looking at dresses and jewelry and wedding inspiration. It's a lot of fun. If you have pinterest, you should follow me because as I have great taste. Except for that one time I talked Aunt Rose into a fire engine red cocktail dress at Saks when I was 15. I'm classier now. I promise.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

So I've procrastinated forever in posting pictures of the apartment, because I'm busy and stuff like that. Therefore, I am taking advantage of this precious downtime to show you where I live. Pics by Chris.

This is our kitchen.

This is our living room.

Also our living room.

this is one of my favourite corners in the apartment. Note the Norman Rockwell plates. I am my mothers daughter.

We're quirky.

More kitchen. I made a lot of pickles this summer. This is where the magic happens. Also, this is proof that contrary to popular belief, I'm pretty organized. Ha!

Monday, September 5, 2011

This whole blog is updates isn't it? I guess this title doesn't really make any sense.

Last week was the first week of school and Momsie and Grandma came to visit. We mostly just ate dinners together because Chris and I were really busy. They had fun exploring Amish villages and going to see Phil the groundhog in Punxsy. We went to Pittsburgh, rode the incline, bought a lot of cheese, and drank Belgian beer too. Thats always fun.

In list form:

-My Staub dutch oven is awesome. And super pretty.

- The first week of school was tiring. Five classes and fifteen hours of work is a lot, but will be manageable. I hope.

- We made 19 pints of peach butter this weekend. It's delicious.

- We bought a chest freezer. I think this is going to be a new obsession for me. I must have an inner midwestern housewife, because I love buying things in bulk.

-I have calculated that I ride my bike between 20 and 30 miles a week back and forth to school. There is something aggravating about biking that far and getting no where.

-We are looking at wedding venues. In Western PA. Don't worry invitees, you'll be given fair warning so you can plan the epic road trip required to get here.